Decent money

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

ThANks for posting an sharing guys, yea the idea of picking a breed getting to know and learn about them and breeding them well, improving the flock and breed seems to be a good one. Something that's not around your local area already, something unique. Read an article once about someone breeding silkies and Guinea fowl and they were doing ok with those two.

And the other thing is eggs of course, there is actually a lot that can be done, but like others have said it can b different for all of us the location and what's going on around our areas and working with that successfully is part of it too. Yeah.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I did a quick look at "Cost of eggs in Australia" and came up with this. Your immediate market could be quite different, it can vary a lot.

While eggs from caged birds can sell for as little as $3 a dozen, the cost for free-range eggs has edged up around $6 to $7 a dozen while organic eggs are heading over the $10 mark.
This shows the power of a niche market, you have to make your product special to command a better price, whether that is eating eggs, hatching eggs, meat, or live animals. It doesn't have to be chickens, could be ducks or turkey. Whatever.

As for scale, say you can sell 10 dozen eggs a week for 7 bucks each. But it costs you 5 to produce them, ignoring the initial costs of your facilities and equipment. So 20 a week. If you could produce and sell 100 dozen per week at that production cost that would be 200 per week. And you may be able to take advantage of economy of scale to reduce your production costs some. Or you may need to build bigger facilities.

But how much do you charge for your time, not just taking care of them and collecting eggs but marketing and delivering them? Chickens don't lay the same every week either, that can vary, plus they will stop to molt so you can go months with no or very little production. How loyal will your customers be if you can't deliver every week?

I once knew a couple that sold blue eggs at a farmer's market. They also provided free range organic meat to a specific restaurant, just the way the chef wanted it. They had some other things going on too with hogs. And he had a steady job. I don't know how much they actually made off of their chickens but they found a niche market. They worked hard and their margins were thin but they were living their dream. And he had a steady job.

 

[Sally PB]

And he had a steady job.

Yup.

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

I did a quick look at "Cost of eggs in Australia" and came up with this. Your immediate market could be quite different, it can vary a lot.

While eggs from caged birds can sell for as little as $3 a dozen, the cost for free-range eggs has edged up around $6 to $7 a dozen while organic eggs are heading over the $10 mark.
This shows the power of a niche market, you have to make your product special to command a better price, whether that is eating eggs, hatching eggs, meat, or live animals. It doesn't have to be chickens, could be ducks or turkey. Whatever.

As for scale, say you can sell 10 dozen eggs a week for 7 bucks each. But it costs you 5 to produce them, ignoring the initial costs of your facilities and equipment. So 20 a week. If you could produce and sell 100 dozen per week at that production cost that would be 200 per week. And you may be able to take advantage of economy of scale to reduce your production costs some. Or you may need to build bigger facilities.

But how much do you charge for your time, not just taking care of them and collecting eggs but marketing and delivering them? Chickens don't lay the same every week either, that can vary, plus they will stop to molt so you can go months with no or very little production. How loyal will your customers be if you can't deliver every week?

I once knew a couple that sold blue eggs at a farmer's market. They also provided free range organic meat to a specific restaurant, just the way the chef wanted it. They had some other things going on too with hogs. And he had a steady job. I don't know how much they actually made off of their chickens but they found a niche market. They worked hard and their margins were thin but they were living their dream. And he had a steady job.

Wish here in Mexico they had the same concept of organic markets that they have in other countries. I lived for a while in Boston MA and loved to go to the farmer's markets that came downtown.
Our state is one of the most difficult to sell/market etc any product, people in the state and city of PUEBLA are just... Well don't know how to exactly put it but they're cheap, stingy, only into fad things and quickly get bored, ignorant (even "educated" people). I've found more decent/honest/hard working people in the countryside than in the cities, people are just plain rotten. Sorry, had to get that out. That's why it's so hard to find a niche here... And don't get me started on rising gas prices, here a liter of gas is at 1 American dollar aprox and rising every week (talking about 4 dollars a galon). The closure because of the pandemic has only made everything worst...

 

[neo71665]

Wanna make a million with chickens start out with 2 million

 

[Acre4Me]

I’ve found that people would rather pay $1 for eggs at walmart than even $2 for my eggs. When I gave away eggs when the pandemic started people were sure around with their hands out though. It depends on where you live and what the market is. There are a lot of poor folks around my neck of the woods and I’m not giving eggs away for. So I use them myself or trade with neighbors.

Yup. So true. I’d rather keep them to give away to people who help us out and/or really appreciate home grown eggs.

a friend offered up goat manure. They will be moving and have gotten rid of all their animals. So, I gave them a few dozen Fresheggs -they were so appreciative bc they miss their chickens. Other people will invite the kid over to an event, or drive the kid somewhere, so they might get eggs (if they want them). Another friend loves loves loves fresh eggs and chickens (but does not have any of their own), so they get eggs as we can spare bc they are a certified electrician and will help us out as needed, etc.

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

Yeah trade is quite attractive to most. I've traded breads and cakes for trout.

 

[igorsMistress]

Its disappointing that you can't sell them. I sell most of mine, and even at $3 a dozen I can't keep up with the demand. I'm not going to raise the price. Egg sales pay for the feed with a little left over for bedding and other small items. I also give some away to family. I will never pay for the coop this way, but that's ok.

Yes and no. We use them and it’s just a hobby. I keep ducks for poop and compost tea...they make it right in the pool so it’s not a lot of work and the plants like it. They provide us with food in multiple ways. When I kept chickens they also provided us with meat, and maybe one day ducks will too.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yup. So true. I’d rather keep them to give away to people who help us out and/or really appreciate home grown eggs.

a friend offered up goat manure. They will be moving and have gotten rid of all their animals. So, I gave them a few dozen Fresheggs -they were so appreciative bc they miss their chickens. Other people will invite the kid over to an event, or drive the kid somewhere, so they might get eggs (if they want them). Another friend loves loves loves fresh eggs and chickens (but does not have any of their own), so they get eggs as we can spare bc they are a certified electrician and will help us out as needed, etc.

Exactly. I traded my neighbor in eggs for some herbs she grew and another neighbor brought me some flour when she found it and I couldn’t last year so I gave her eggs as she wouldn’t take money. One neighbor makes cakes and wants to try duck eggs so she’s going to make birthday cakes for the kids this year as a trade. It’s all good and a great way to barter, plus get to know your neighbors.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Wanna make a million with chickens start out with 2 million

Seems a bit like that, the ideal idea would b to spend the money at the start, get ya birds and equipment then try be as self sufficient as possible from then on.